Sandy Castle looms large on Shore impact

Jun. 30, 2013

Point Pleasant Beach NJ Sandy Castle, a thirty plus sand castle on the south end of Jenkinson's beach in Point Pleasant Beach near completion. Sculptor Ed Jarrett says he will be done by Sunday 062813 Photo by Tom Spader/Asbury Park Press / Photo: Tom Spader/Asbury Park Press

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POINT PLEASANT BEACH — Ed Jarrett set out what he wanted to do.

He came, he built, he raised awareness for Sandy relief.

As the sand sculptor from Maine finishes sculpting his giant sandcastle on the shores of Point Pleasant Beach, he knows he won’t make the Guinness World Record for Tallest Sandcastle, as he initially hoped.

Jarrett, however, is proud to say the roughly 35-foot high Sandy Castle is meeting his other goals, such as regularly drawing crowds to a storm-impacted beach and pulling in funds that help local victims of superstorm Sandy.

“I wanted to make a dedication to the Shore. That’s what I came for,” Jarrett, 47, said. “I did my part. Now I want people to come down and support it.”

Jarrett began planning for a record-breaking sandcastle with his friend, Alan Fumo of Island Heights, in February and started pouring the layers of sand in early April. The effort involved about 5,000 volunteers. Jarrett started carving in late May and expected to finish by today.

Liz Luis, 29, of Passaic County and Steven Rivers, 26, of Eatontown were two of many people drawn in for a closer view and were surprised by what they saw Friday.

“It’s pretty cool to see him working,” River said of Jarrett.

“It’s pretty tall,” Luis added.

Jarrett’s initial goal was to carve a 50-foot tall sandcastle, which would break the record he set in 2011 with a 37-foot, 10-inch sand castle in Farmington, Conn.

Vibrations from bulldozers on the beach shortly after he started carving impacted the castle more severely than he initially suspected, and his castle lost enough sand to fall below the height he needed to break the record, Fumo said.

Fumo said they are considering vying for the record with another build in September, next to the Sandy Castle and using the sand from it.

“He wants to set the record for New Jersey,” Fumo said.

But for now, Jarrett remains focused on the Sandy Castle, which features several nods to the Jersey Shore in its carvings, such as Seaside Heights’ Jet Star roller coaster and the Barnegat lighthouse, and on welcoming people to the beach to see it all summer.

The sandcastle is mostly blocked from view by plastic-wrapped scaffolding meant to encourage guests to make a small donation for a closer view. A posterboard at the entry encourages guests to try to find the many carved features, such as the Number 8, a flower, a shark and a sailboat.

The funds raised through admission and T-shirt sales will go to Hometown Heroes, which has more than 1,500 applications from Sandy-ravaged families who can get help because of this project.

On a date to be determined, Jarrett and Fumo plan to have a grand opening ceremony to celebrate the completed castle and what it represents.